We usually don't feature letters to the editor from newspapers. But this one recently published in the Santa Fe New Mexican is intriguing enough to take a closer look. Andrew Black wrote that President Joe Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, in the final days of their administrations, ought to declare the 106,000-acre Caja del … Continue reading Op-ed urges land that includes La Bajada Hill be declared a national monument
Category: Attractions
Phase 3 of Kingman Tours project to begin in early 2025
The Kingman Tours project in Kingman, Arizona, developed by Kingman Main Street in partnership with Talisman Magic Marketing and the city, will begin its Phase 3 after the first of the year. According to a news release from Kingman resident and longtime booster Jim Hinckley, Phase 3 will include additional points of interest for the walking tour in … Continue reading Phase 3 of Kingman Tours project to begin in early 2025
Claremore unveils its Route 66 Centennial marker
The City of Claremore, Oklahoma, and the state's Route 66 Centennial Commission on Monday unveiled the second Route 66 centennial marker in the Sooner State. Here's what it looks like: Monday also happened to be the anniversary of when U.S. 66 was federally certified in 1926. According to KJRH-TV in Tulsa, the first centennial marker … Continue reading Claremore unveils its Route 66 Centennial marker
City of Tulsa releases final design of Cry Baby Hill statue
The City of Tulsa released a final rendering of the controversial Cry Baby Hill statue that is set to stand adjacent to Route 66. The final version shows a crying figure aboard a bicycle wearing a helmet, according to the Tulsa World and other media outlets. It's roughly similar to another revision the artist submitted … Continue reading City of Tulsa releases final design of Cry Baby Hill statue
Donnay Building in OKC largely being rebuilt from scratch
The historic Donnay Building in Oklahoma City is almost entirely being rebuilt after its new owners decided its piecework, Frankenstein-like construction wasn't worth salvaging. The Oklahoman newspaper reports developer Nick Preftakes and partner Caleb Hill, after purchasing the property for $1.5 million, decided to gut the interior after assessing its long-ago additions, repairs and fire … Continue reading Donnay Building in OKC largely being rebuilt from scratch
Huge theme park near Vinita likely will be delayed for three years
To no one's surprise, a multibillion-dollar theme park along Route 66 near Vinita, Oklahoma, probably will be delayed for three years. Mansion Entertainment, a company with ties to Branson, Missouri, announced in summer 2023 that it would build the American Heartland theme park and RV park by Route 66’s centennial year in 2026 and draw 5 million visitors annually. … Continue reading Huge theme park near Vinita likely will be delayed for three years
St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park slated to open in spring 2025
A long-planned St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park along the highway in St. Robert, Missouri, is under construction and scheduled to open sometime in spring 2025. The Pulaski County Tourism Bureau and Visitors Center recently posted this video of the neon park being built: https://youtu.be/3qQHZ3oDUKg?si=59YqL7yYWjMU1kYk According to the tourism bureau, the park will contain restored … Continue reading St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park slated to open in spring 2025
Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque now slated to open by May 2025
After multiple delays, the Route 66 Visitor Center on the west edge of Albuquerque now is scheduled to open sometime in May next year. Shelle Sanchez, the city's Department of Arts & Culture Director Shelle Sanchez, gave the tentative date during a tour of the property on Thursday, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Arts & … Continue reading Route 66 Visitor Center in Albuquerque now slated to open by May 2025
Gemini Giant will be installed in Wilmington park on Nov. 30
The restored Gemini Giant, once a fixture for almost 60 years at the Launching Pad Drive-In restaurant in Wilmington, Illinois, will be the focus of a party on Nov. 30 at his new home in Wilmington's South Island Park. According to a promotional flyer, the event from 1 to 3 p.m. that day will include … Continue reading Gemini Giant will be installed in Wilmington park on Nov. 30
American Giants Museum featured in the New York Times
The so-called "newspaper of record" has published a prominent story about the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois. The New York Times posted the story by reporter Valerie Schremp Hahn and St. Louis photographer Bryan Birks in its Fine Arts and Design section on Wednesday. It contains a lot of information about the museum's genesis … Continue reading American Giants Museum featured in the New York Times